Denver, Colo., Mar 3, 2005 / 12:00 am (CNA).- The Colorado Catholic Conference is encouraging the state’s faithful to fight against a new bill before the state’s House of Representatives. The bill would force state health providers, including many Catholics, to provide contraception to victims of sexual assault or refer them to someone who will.

Catholics could face a major problem as the use of artificial contraception has always been seen as a grave moral evil in the eyes of the Church. The Colorado Catholic Conference has also pointed out that many contraceptives often act as abortifacients.

The group noted that House Bill 1042, "The Emergency Contraception for Survivors" bill “would impose strict restrictions on all hospitals, including non-profit religiously affiliated hospitals, potentially forcing Catholic hospitals to violate their Catholic faith and identity.”

Tim Dore, executive director of the Colorado Catholic Conference said that, "If enacted, HB1042 would be the first law in Colorado to force Catholic entities and Catholic employees to actively violate their religious convictions.”

Abortion activists, he added, already know this. “Given these concerns, reasonable people should wonder what the real intention of this legislation is, and whether religious freedom is an American value we can still take seriously."

“Forcing [Catholic hospitals] to perform or refer for procedures that violate their convictions about the sanctity of human life not only attacks their service. It also damages the whole community", he added.

Colorado is one of a number of states considering mandatory contraception legislation.